Tuesday, January 20, 2009

The "White Man"

First of all, I did not get the national poet's poem.  In fact, the prayer was far more of a poem to my untrained eye than the poet's was.  And speaking of the closing prayer, can I ask why (without being accused of being a racist - as I was by my wife) it is that the red man gets "ahead man," the yella man can get "mella," etc., but the white man has to "get right?"  Is it too much to ask to not get slammed during the closing prayer to our nation's inauguration?  

7 comments:

Nancy Sabina said...

I agree about the National Poet's poem. I didn't get it and it seemed to me that she really didn't do a very good job of reading it. Maybe poet's shouldn't read their own poetry. Her cadence was all wonky. And I was digging the closing prayer until that part you mentioned, too.
Being so close to DC, I'm just glad nothing blew up today or something like that.

Mary Elizabeth Liberty said...

joe, I hear ya about the closing prayer..

angela michelle said...

Nanc, poets always seem to read that way. Like they feel each. word. is. important. Which it should be in poetry. I liked the poem, but I think it definitely would have come off better if read in a more conversational tone.

Farmer Joe said...

How is it like someone without kids critiquing my parenting? I am against racism. Why can't that apply to a racist slam against myself?

PS - who you calling a "white person." I'm "peach."

wannabee free said...

amen, farmer joe. When would a white person ever get away with saying someething like that.
and in a prayer no less!
a sign of things to come, I'm certain.

angela michelle said...

As in, parenting = living w racism. Those who aren't livin' it shouldn't be passing judgement on those who are.

Farmer Joe said...

I am living with racism everyday. It splains why I just got slammed on the very first day of "National Day of Renewal and Reconciliation" - it also splains why any business I start that deals with anything from our governments has a 5-15% (or more) disadvantage compared to one started by a minority or woman. It also explains why I have thousands of dollars in student debt rather than thousands of dollars in scholarships. It also explains a whole lot of other things that I can't do or am barred from. If I am discriminated against based on the color of my skin, then I think I can claim to "have kids" in this analogy.